Tiny Little Nation
by xXChibiTeapotXx
Summary: The story of a tiny little nation as she grows up to be a big… well, bigger nation. One-Sided OC/Prussia. UsUk. Implied GerIta. Mentioned Past One-sided PruHun. Swearing, Angst, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Reference to Historical Events. UNDER RECONSTRUCTION
1. Chapter 1

**July, 1919**

Germany sighed in frustration as he shut the conference room's door behind him. "Once again, the meeting ended without us coming to a decision".

His and France's bosses had recently agreed to the creation of a recognized neutral zone on the Rhine. However, things weren't going as simple as they'd hoped.

Without a governing body, the people of the trading zone didn't know how to go on with their daily lives. Government officials had been delegating for weeks to make the town into a joint territory of France and Germany.

Unfortunately though, they hadn't really gotten anywhere in the way of making any decisions.

Germany pinched the bridge of his nose as he could feel the beginnings of a headache. _We should've known that something like this would happen. Me, France and… actually, now that I think about it, Gilbert hasn't been involved in any of these meetings. Odd._

The moment the blond got home, he was straight on the phone to his brother.

"Bruder?"

"Uh, hey West. What is it? I'm kind of busy right now".

Germany raised an eyebrow. "Busy? What could make you so busy that you missed the meeting? Not to mention, the ones before".

"Uh, well… I've kind of been taking care of the autonomous region. She's just a little kid, so it's not like she can really take care of herself".

Germany blinked in surprise. "She? The region has a personification?"

"Ja".

The two German nations were silent for a moment before Prussia spoke. "Do you… want to meet her?"

" … Yes". The blond nodded his head. "Yes, I would like to very much".

-XxX-

Waking up from her spot on the sofa, a small brunette yawned and stretched her arms.

"I fell asleep". Hazel eyes blinked in confusion as she saw that the room was empty. "Älterer Bruder?"

Getting up from off the sofa, the autonomous region went to look for her brother.

She soon found him standing near the front door, in the midst of conversation with a tall and muscular blond. She was quite intimidated by him actually. The autonomous region tried to hide from them, however, her brother soon caught the brunette and picked her up into his arms.

"Missed my awesome presence that much, huh?" The albino smirked as she nodded and nestled her head against his shoulder.

Looking at the small girl in the older nation's arms, Germany blinked in surprise as he realised who she possibly was.

"Bruder, is that"…

"The new autonomous region? Ja, this is her. Isn't she cute? Kind of like you when you were a kid".

The blond blushed. "Bruder, I don't need to hear that".

"But West, it's true".

Prussia was going to continue teasing his little brother a little more, that was until he felt a light tugging on his shirt.

"Älterer Bruder, who is that?"

"Who's this? This is my brother, West. Well, he's actually called Germany but I get to call him West. Because I'm awesome".

"Oh". The autonomous region looked up at the albino, she then turned to look at the blond for a moment before returning her gaze back to the nation holding her. "Does that mean he's my brother too?"

"If you want him to".

The brunette was silent for a moment before she made 'grabby hand' gestures towards the older German nation.

Tentatively walking towards her, Germany picked the small girl up into his own arms. Despite them being more muscular, she felt no different in them than she had in her brother's.

"Yes, I think I'd like that very much. I already have a big brother though, so… would it be ok if I called you West?"

"Of course… Schwester".

-XxX-

 **10th July, 1919**

In the conference room, England and France were bickering just as usual.

"Stop touching me you bloody frog! When will you ever learn, no means no! Stupid, lecherous, wine-guzzling wanker".

"And when will you ever learn to get rid of those hideous caterpillars you call eyebrows? Black sheep of Europe".

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!"

Looking on at the two arguing nations, France's officials wondered if it was such a good idea in getting the island nation involved.

It was then, when Germany and his officials filed in, that the room finally fell silent. However, the older nations' attention wasn't on the blond. It was fixed solely upon the small girl his brother held in his arms.

The silence continued on before France decided to be the first to speak.

"Say, mon ami… who exactly is that you're holding?"

"Oh this? This is the cute little autonomous region you and West are fighting over".

"Ah. It's been so long since we've had a new nation around, non?"

England nodded his head in rare agreement. "It has… Hold on a bloody minute! You brought her here to try to make us agree with whatever you want, didn't you?!"

"Of course not. I only brought her along because she wouldn't stop crying unless I did".

"As interesting as there being a new country is, could we please get on with the meeting?" Germany was about to say more, when the conference room's door opened and in walked a very ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

Marching up to the table they were sat at, he slammed down a set of important-looking papers. "We've had just about enough of you lot going back and forth, deciding things for us. We want the right of self-determination. To become the people of, what will hereby be known as, the Free State of Schwan-Schloss. We want to be independent!"

"Like Hell you will!" Prussia snarled, protectively pulling his sister closer to him. "She's just a kid, she doesn't even know how to stand on her own two feet yet!"

At that moment, as if she knew they were talking about her, the sleeping autonomous region slowly opened her eyes.

"Älterer Bruder?"

The brunette blinked a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes. When fully focused, the hazel orbs went wide at how many people there were.

"Ah, the little Sleeping Beauty is finally awake. Bonjour mademoiselle".

"B-bonjour monsieur".

France almost squealed. "And she knows my language too!"

"-AHEM!- Could we please get back to the subject at hand?"

"And could someone please tell me what's going on?"

The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Why should such a little girl concern herself with such things?"

The autonomous region pouted. "I'm not a little girl, I'm a nation!" She huffed and crossed her arms which earned her a pat on the head.

"Hm, how stupid are you?" Prussia sneered. "You want independence yet you don't even know who your nation is. Even though she's staring you right in the face".

Blinking in shocked surprise, he stared up and down at the brunette then cleared his throat in an embarrassed manner. "My apologies, young lady. Um, you wanted to know what we're doing, right?"

"Yes".

"We're deciding on how to make you a joint territory of France and Germany. However, I Astor Adlebert, on the behalf of your people wish to make you the Free State of Schwan-Schloss".

"Schwan-Schloss? That sounds pretty. But, uh… what does independent mean?" The small girl asked, looking up expectantly at her brother for an answer.

The albino went silent for a moment as he tried to figure out what would be the best explanation. "Well, it means you'll get to have your own government and not be ruled by West or France".

"Oh". The brunette's face turned sad as she realised what that could mean. "So I'm not going to live with you anymore".

"Well, no".

"B-but I'll still get to see you, won't I?"

Seeing her eyes start to fill with tears, Prussia soothingly rocked her a few times and stroked her hair. "Of course you will. Won't she, Adlebert?"

The dark-haired man nodded vehemently. "O-of course! Of course!" The man spared no time in getting his stuttered agreement out as he saw the look the oldest German nation was giving him. A look that pretty much said, 'do it or else'.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, the brunette reached up to wrap her arms around Prussia's neck in a small hug before turning to speak to her future boss.

"Ok. If that's what the people want, you can go ahead and do it".


	2. Chapter 2

We're getting to actual historical events now. Hopefully I've written them ok and not offended anyone.

-XxX-

 **7th March, 1936**

Annexation.

At first, Schwan-Schloss didn't know what the word meant. When she did though, she wasn't happy.

She didn't want her land to be owned by another country's government. Especially, not a government run by Germany's boss, who the brunette had overheard terrible rumours about.

This is why the free state was currently barricading her bedroom door.

"Come on Schwester, let me in!" Germany shouted as he banged on the door.

"Nein! Just go away!"

"Come on Prinzessin. Don't make things hard on West!"

Schwan-Schloss froze. "Äl-Älterer Bruder?" The two German nations were greeted by the sound of something heavy and wooden scraping against the floor before the door was opened.

As soon as she saw him, the free state flung herself into Prussia's arms. He stroked the brunette's soft hair in an attempt to calm her down as she soaked his shirt with her tears.

"Th-they said y-you were dissolved. I… I thought"…

"Hey, I'm still here and as awesome as ever. Nothing can keep the Awesome Me down for long Don't you worry, I'm not going anywhere".

Schwan-Schloss's crying stopped and she wiped her eyes. "Promise?"

"Ja, I promise".

"Ok. Älterer Bruder… do I really have to go live at West's house? I want to stay the way I am now, not be owned by someone else's government".

Germany sighed at his sister's stubbornnes. "It's not like you can do anything about it. What my boss says goes".

"West's place isn't as awesome as mine was, but it's not going to be as bad as you think it'll be".

Schwan-Schloss thought about it for a moment. It all came down to two choices. Either try to fight the annexation for as long as she could, or just submit and go live with Prussia.

Of course, it was an easy decision.

"Fine. I guess I have no other choice but to go with you then".

"Good girl".

-XxX-

 **22nd August, 1939**

It had been a few years since Schwan-Schloss had come to live with her brothers. During that time, a new occupant had moved into the house. Austria.

At first, she had been anxious about the man. Even though Prussia had called him a 'piano-playing priss'. However, the small nation's fears had soon been assuaged after she'd actually met him.

Her brother hadn't lied. Indeed, Austria was a piano-playing… Well, the brunette didn't want to use the word priss. She found it a little insulting.

That and she actually liked Austria's music.

She'd also met Germany's new ally. Once again, the brunette had been anxious at first. And once again, her anxieties faded upon meeting him.

She came to find that Italy was actually quite sweet… and a little bit clueless. That was just part of his charm though.

However, after all this time, Schwan-Schloss couldn't shake off the sense of uneasiness she felt.

The brunette had first felt it when she moved in. She'd merely brushed it off as her nervousness about being in a new environment.

It then happened again when the free state had met Austria. And Italy. She thought that had just been her normal anxieties about being around unfamiliar people.

Then there were those nights… those nights filled with shouts and the sound of breaking glass.

Prussia had held her tight all through them. Stroking her hair and trying to comfort her as best he could, the albino told her everything would be aright.

Despite her uneasiness, she had believed his words. Her brother wouldn't lie to her, right?

Right?

-XxX-

An exhausted Prussia ran a frustrated hand through his hair. _Why does West keep making me do so much damn paperwork? Seriously, I'm way too awesome for this kind of crap._

Heading upstairs, he went to go check up on Schwan-Schloss. Entering the brunette's room he found her fast asleep at her desk, head buried deep in a book.

Sighing, the ex-nation gently nudged his sister's shoulder. "Prinzessin. Hey, Prinzessin. Wake up".

A yawn escaped from the small girl's mouth before she opened her eyes. "Nhg… Älterer Bruder? When did you get back home?"

"Just now. Work was later than usual. A better question though, why aren't you in bed?"

Looking up at the clock, the brunette blushed at what time it was. "I guess I lost track of time".

Picking his sister up into his arms, the albino put her to bed. Removing the brunette's glasses and hair clips, Prussia placed them down on the bedside table as she moved around in the covers to get comfortable,

"Why were you working so late?"

"West gave me a crap-ton of paperwork to do since he's busy preparing for"…

"Preparing for what? What's West preparing for?"

The albino inwardly sighed in relief at having managed to stop himself from saying too much. However, now came the hard part, he had to think of something to tell his sister to hide the truth. Something quick.

"He's just preparing… stuff. That's right! Important stuff. With his boss".

Schwan-Schloss frowned. Unlike any time before, she wasn't entirely convinced by what he'd said. It was then she wondered, the uneasiness she'd felt over the years, had it been not entirely groundless?

"Älterer Bruder… is… is there something going on? Something that I should know about".

Prussia found himself unable to speak. Any excuses he could've come up with were lost as big, pleading hazel eyes stared him down. Reluctantly, he came to the realisation that there was nothing left to say than the truth.

"Ja, there is. …West and his boss, they're preparing to invade Poland".

The free state's eyes widened. "In-invade? But that's… does West know what he's doing? France and England aren't going to let him get away with this".

"You're right, they won't. If they make good on their promise this will start a war".

"War? But why?" Tears started to fall from Schwan-Schloss's eyes as her whole body shook. "He lost the last one, why would… why can't things just stay the way they are?"

Pulling his sister protectively into his arms, the albino rubbed her back to help calm down her shaking. He kept on doing this until Schwan-Schloss finally cried herself to sleep.

Tucking her back into bed, Prussia stared down at the brunette and sighed.

 _Innocent. She's so innocent. Just like West was. Whatever happens, I can't let her get involved in this war. I barely got West back after I lost him way back when. I'm not going to risk losing her._

-XxX-

Russia arrived at Germany's front door the next day. Right on time for their meeting.

As he knocked on the door, the Soviet felt a very familiar chill. Turning around, he tried to suppress a scream as he saw standing behind him was his sister.

"N-N-Natalya! W-what are you doing here?"

"I followed you to make sure you had a safe journey".

"Uh, thank you. That's… that's very nice".

Before any more could be said, Germany answered the door. "Oh, it's you Russia. Good. Come in".

Walking into the other nation's house, Russia winced as Belarus followed him inside.

"Uh, Germany? You and Prussia have a little sister, da?"

"Ja, we do".

"Natalya, why don't you go play with her while Germany and I discuss business together? If its alright with him of course". Turning to face him again, he gave him a look that pretty much said 'please, dear God, help me'.

"Of course, that's fine with me. I think I last saw her in the kitchen".

With a nod, she left the two male nations behind and went off to the aforementioned room. When she found the small nation sitting at the table, the blonde cleared her throat to catch her attention.

Looking up, the brunette almost spilled her tea as she flinched at the sight of the unfamiliar figure. Placing the drink down so as not to run the risk of spilling or breaking the teacup, Schwan-Schloss took a deep breath and tried to regain some sort of composure.

"H-hallo?"

The older female nation nodded in acknowledgement to the greeting and sat down. "You must be Germany's sister".

The free state nodded her head a little timidly. "Th-that's right. I'm… I'm Schwan-Schloss. And, uh… y-you are?"

"Belarus. My brother said I should go play with you while he and Germany have their meeting".

With a frown, the younger female nation crossed her arms and huffed at one of the few subjects able to cut across her social anxiousness. "Go play with me? Go play with me?! What does he think I am, a child? I happen to be twenty years old, thank you very much. Twenty! In most countries that would make me old enough to drink, drive and able to get married". Catching herself before ranting on any further, she blushed and turned away in embarrassment. "S-sorry. I, uh… I didn't mean to rant. Uh, Miss Belarus? Miss Belarus?"

At the sound of the word marriage, the blonde seemed to have drifted off into some sort of daydream. Probably about her own dream wedding judging by the small smile on her face.

Schwan-Schloss tried again but a little louder this time "-Ahem!- Miss Belarus?!"

"Huh? Oh, uh, w-what were you saying again?"

With a sigh, she shook her head. "Never mind. Why don't you get yourself a cup? I'll pour you some tea".

Doing just that, Belarus sat back down just as Schwan-Schloss had finished making the tea and the two female nations sat there sipping their drinks in comfortable silence.

"So, marriage then… It's a subject that interests you".

"Huh? Oh yes, there's someone I intend on marrying in the future".

The brunette's eyes widened in curiosity. "Oh, really? Who is it then?"

"Russia".

At hearing that, she rose an eyebrow. "Russia? Isn't that, I don't know, a little bit weird?"

"I can see why you would think that and honestly, I don't care. Then again, it would be alright if you decided you wanted to marry one of your brothers. You don't share any blood with them like I do with mine".

Schwan-Schloss was rendered speechless at what the blonde had just said. Marry one of her brothers? Pausing in thought for a moment, she actually considered the wild-sounding idea.

Obviously, not Germany. Both she and Prussia shared the opinion that he secretly had feelings for Italy. So, if not him then maybe…

Now that she thought about it, it might not be such a bad idea if she and Prussia got married.

"So, you're actually considering it then?"

Blushing, the free state took a long sip of her tea before answering. "Well, from what I've heard, when nations get married they become one with each other. If I married Prussia he'd become a part of me and then maybe… he will never be dissolved again".

"Do I detect a hint of love?"

The small girl rolled her eyes. "Of course I do. He is my brother after all".

"But you love him more than Germany, don't you?"

"… Maybe a little bit. Then again, he was the one who saved me".

The older female nation rose an eyebrow. "Saved you? How so?"

"Back when I first appeared as the Franco-German Autonomous Free Trading Zone, everyone would just pass me by. No notice. No care. I started to wonder, would anyone ever notice my existence? Would I be doomed to be forever alone? And then"… The brunette's lips curved up into a soft smile as she recalled the memory. "One day, he came and found me. He took me into his arms and away from that dark and lonely place. He saved me from my loneliness". At realising how much she'd spoken, she blushed and turned away in embarrassment yet again. "S-sorry. I've spoken too much haven't I?"

Belarus shook her head. "No, it's fine. Actually, I happen to admire the fact that someone else loves their brother just as much as I love mine. Well… maybe not just as much".

Schwan-Schloss's blush deepened. "Uh… well, thank you".

It was then, that the ex-nation they'd been talking about entered the kitchen.

"Hey Belarus, Russia already left".

At hearing that, the blonde jumped out of her chair. Almost knocking it over as she did so.

"It was nice talking to you Miss Belarus".

Nodding her head in agreement, the older female nation muttered a small thanks for the tea before she left.

"So, what were you two talking about?" Prussia asked as he put the teacups and pot by the side of the sink so they would be washed later.

"Nothing! Uh, nothing really. Just girl stuff. You wouldn't be interested".

-XxX-

Later that night as he was putting her to bed, Schwan-Schloss decided to ask her brother a question.

"Älterer Bruder, what do you think about marriage?"

"What?!" The albino's eyes went wide with shock-surprise. "W-why do you ask?

"Well… I was wondering, have you ever wanted to get married? To become one with another person?"

"Belarus has been putting ideas into your head, hasn't she?"

The brunette shook her head. "No, she didn't… ok, maybe she did. That doesn't matter though, just answer the question. Please".

"Ok, fine. I did want to get married once but that was a long time ago. She was already engaged to someone else though, so I couldn't even if I wanted to".

"You mean Hungary, don't you?"

With a sad smile, the ex-nation nodded. "Yeah, it was Hungary".

"Is that why you don't like Austria and enjoy annoying him so much?"

"A little bit. It's more to do with him being a piano-playing priss". His face then lit up with a smirk. "He just makes it so easy and fun to annoy him".

Tucking her in, Prussia gave his sister a kiss on the forehead and bid her goodnight. As he was about to leave, another question crossed the free state's mind.

"Älterer Bruder?"

"Ja?"

"Have you ever wanted to get married now?"

"… Maybe. If it would make me a nation again, I might consider it".

When the door had finally closed, Schwan-Schloss smiled as she closed her eyes and let sleep start to overtake her.

 _I'll take that as a yes._

-XxX-

Notes:

 **'Those nights filled with shouts and the sound of breaking glass'** \- Kristallnacht/Night of The Broken Glass: On the 9th-10th November, 1938 members of the SA and Nazi-sympathetic citizens looted and burnt down Jewish businesses and synagogues. 91 Jews were killed, and at least 25,000 Jewish men were arrested.

 **Meeting** – Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact/German-Soviet Non-aggression Pact: 23rd August, 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed an agreement that stated none would attack the other or ally/aid each others enemies. It was also an agreement as to who would get what after the invasion of Poland and allowed the Soviet Union to take the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia for themselves.


	3. Chapter 3

There's someone I've forgotten to give credit to and that's something someone said. Their fanfic, Just Above Drowning, was what gave me the idea to create Schwan-Schloss in the first place.

-XxX-

 **1st September, 1939**

Pacing back-and-forth, Schwan-Schloss fisted her hands into the folds of her dress in an attempt to stop her fingers from nervously twitching

Today was the day Prussia would be going off to war and she would be alone. Well, not completely alone. Hungary was coming over to look after her.

She'd wondered why Hungary. But then again, it had been Austria's suggestion. Her brother had just gone along with it since he couldn't think of anyone else.

The free state sat down on the sofa with a sigh. _What's Hungary even like anyway? I man, the only thing I know about her is that she broke Älterer Bruder's heart years and years ago before I was even created. That's not exactly the most comforting thing to know about someone before you've met them._

Frowning, she shook her head to try to clear herself of her negativity. Not that it really did much to help.

 _Ugh, stupid social anxiety._

The small girl was soon broken away from her thoughts at the sound of knocking at the door.

Gojng to answer it, Prussia frowned as he saw it was the very female nation in question.

"Oh, it's you. Where's Roderich? I was hoping he'd be here to meet me".

The ex-nation rolled his eyes. "The priss left already. But by all means, come on in".

Doing so, Hungary's eyes soon lit up at seeing the small girl sat on the sofa. Knowing what was going on in the brunette's head, Prussia quickly went over to his sister and picked her up into his arms.

"Älterer Bruder?"

"What the Hell Gilbert?!"

"I could tell what was going on inside that head of yours. You were going to almost hug my poor Prinzessin to death which would've made her cry in terror. FYI, she's already a little scared of you thanks to her social anxiety".

Hungary rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be such a drama queen. Besides, how can a little girl have social anxiety?"

With a frown the younger female nation crossed her arms in a huff. "Little girl? Excuse me Miss Hungary, but I am not a child. I'm a nation, thank you very much".

"Congratulations Lizzy, you just hit the sure-fire way to get her to talk to you".

"Älterer Bruder, I don't think this is going to work. Can't you just stay here instead?"

Sighing, the ex-nation stroked the small girl's hair. "Sorry, but I can't. I'll be back soon though so be a good girl for Hungary, ok?"

Seeing her nod in agreement, the albino put his sister down and turned to face Hungary. "Well, Elizaveta. I leave her in your capable hands".

Turning to leave, Prussia was stopped in his tracks when he felt a small tugging on his sleeve.

"Wait, Älterer Bruder. Wait!"

Turning around, he saw the brunette carefully pull out one of her blue cornflower hair clips.

"Here, take this. A lucky charm to keep you safe".

Taking the offered hair accessory, the ex-nation bent down and patted the free state on the head. "Thanks, but awesome doesn't need luck. I'll be safe and sound and back before you know it".

Throwing her arms around his neck, Schwan-Schloss gave her oldest brother a hug as tears started to fall from her eyes. "Ich liebe dich, Älterer Bruder".

"Ich liebe dich auch, mein Prinzessin".

When they both let go of each other, Prussia turned and left out the door.

As she stood there still, the free state merely stared at the door. Tears starting to fall from her eyes once again, she tried to wipe them away with her sleeves but they didn't stop coming.

Sighing, Hungary got down on her knees and tapped the younger brunette to get her to turn around and look at her. "Uh, Miss Schwan-Schloss… I know I'm a stranger and you have… social anxiety but, would you like a hug?"

Hesitating, the small girl nodded, allowing the older female nation to pick her up into her arms and give a reassuring hug.

Hungary shook her head. Despite the fact that she protested against being called one, deep down Schwan-Schloss really was just a child.

"Would you like a cup a tea? It might make you feel better".

Getting a nod in response, she carried the free state into the kitchen and placed her in a chair. Schwan-Schloss stared down at the table, only looking up when a teacup was put in front of her.

"Shall I pour? Or would you like to do it yourself?"

"I'll do it myself, thank you".

Nodding, Hungary merely watched the younger female nation as she prepared her tea. Upon noticing she was being watched, the brunette looked up at her.

"What is it?"

"You're quite ladylike for your age".

Blinking in surprise, she wasn't expecting that as the older female nation's response. "Uh, w-which one?"

"Both. Seeing as manners aren't exactly Gilbert's forte, I'm surprised. Did you learn them from Ludwig?"

The brunette shook her head, causing her hook-and-reel hair curl to bounce a little as she did so. "Nein. When I still lived in my own house, my boss hired a lady to look after me and she was the one who beat manners into me. Literally".

Hungary gasped. "You mean she"…

"Ja, Älterer Bruder never needed to know. Anyway, that's enough about me". She paused to take a sip of her tea before continuing again. "Let's talk about you".

"Ok. What do you want me to talk about?"

The small girl thought for a moment before answering. "Marriage? Would you tell me about your marriage to Mr Austria?"

"Mr Austria? I would've thought Gilbert would have you calling him a priss like he does".

"Well, I thought referring to him by that term would be rude. Besides, I like his piano playing".

"Good. Anyway, about my marriage to Roderich. I can't deny that I wasn't in love with him and overjoyed when he popped the question. However, as you well know, our marriage was only political. Even when love is involved, political marriages are always doomed to fail".

"Always?" Schwan-Schloss looked down and took a long sip of her tea. "That's… that's unfortunate".

Hungary raised an eyebrow. "Why did you want me to talk about this anyway? You're far too young to be thinking about marriage".

The brunette sighed. "True. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to marry Älterer Bruder".

Spitting out her tea, the older female nation spluttered at what she'd just heard. "Did you just say… you want to marry Gilbert?"

"Yes".

"B-but… why? Have you been talking to Belarus lately? She should know better than to put ideas into a chil… uh, I mean… a young and impressionable nation's head".

The free state frowned. Her brother had asked the exact same question when she'd brought up the subject in front of him a few months ago.

"Yes, Miss Belarus put the idea in my head, but I thought it through on my own. West was out of the picture right away. Despite the fact that he insists they're just friends, I think he has a thing for Italy and I don't want to get in the way of that. Have you seen them together? It's quite cute".

Her lips curving up into a small smile at a certain memory, Hungary nodded in agreement. "It is. But then, why do you want to marry Gilbert? You still haven't answered that".

The younger female nation sighed again. She seemed to be doing that a lot during this conversation. "Because I want to. And because… it's practical".

"Practical?"

"If we were to get married, we'd be part of the same country. Ideally, that would mean no one could dissolve him".

"Is that what this is all about?"

The small girl nodded. "Yes. At the begining of my life, I was so lonely. Then Älterer Bruder came along and put a stop to all that. So, I want to be by his side. Always". The brunette then frowned as she rested her chin on her arms that were now laying against the table. "That's what I want. It's not likely that'll happen though".

"Why's that?"

Looking up, the younger female nation gave Hungary an 'are you serious?' look. "Just look at me. I'm a tiny little micronation. Annexed and under the thumb of West's boss who, if he wanted to, could dissolve me too".

The older female nation sighed. "Look, bosses come and go. You never know what could happen. Especially during war".

"What… what are you trying to say?"

"That things can change. You may not be a micronation forever. After all, war has the tendency to shift territories around. Also, like I said before, bosses come and go. Ludwig's boss could easily get himself replaced and the one who replaces him may make Gilbert a proper nation again. You never know".

Thinking over what the other brunette had just said, Schwan-Schloss's lips curved up into a small smile. "Well, I'll look forward to when that day happens. Oh, and Miss Hungary, thank you. It's nice to have someone to talk to about this".

Shaking her head, the older female nation returned the smile with one of her own. "Your welcome. And of course, I won't tell Gilbert what we talked about".

The free state let out a deep sigh of relief. "Good".

-XxX-

 **6th October, 1939**

Once again, a certain free state was pacing back-and-forth.

"Lorelei, please. Sit down".

Doing as she was told, Schwan-Schloss sat down on the sofa. Kicking her legs back-and-forth impatiently, she kept her eyes glued to the front door.

"Älterer Bruder said he'd be coming home today but he didn't say when".

Hungary sighed. "Demobilisation can take a while. Just be patient".

"I am patient". The free state pouted, still not taking her eyes off the door. She knew she was acting like a child but, at this particular moment in time, she didn't really care. She just wanted her brother to come home.

Hungary sighed once again. "Well, if he said he was coming home today, he'll be here. In the meantime though, the tea's ready". An idea then popped into the brunette's head. "What would you say to us having our tea outside today?"

"Outside? But isn't it a bit cold out there?"

The older female nation nodded. "Yes, but if you put your coat on you should be fine".

"Ok then".

-XxX-

It was quite some time later that an exhausted Prussia walked in through the door. Trudging up the stairs, he went to go have a shower to wash off the dust from his travels. Throwing on some comfortable clothes, the albino went downstairs and into the kitchen.

Grabbing himself a beer from the fridge, he went into the lounge and plonked down on the sofa before taking a long swig of his drink.

Leaning back in his seat, the ex-nation let out a deep sigh. His mind casting back to the battlefield he'd come from hours ago.

 _Stupid Pony-boy. He should've known better. Then again, his alliance with Arthur and Francis had actually been a threat._

Taking another swig of his beer, his face then lit up with a smirk. _Heh, me and West kicked his ass so fast all they could do was watch. No thanks to that damn psychopath._

Downing the last of his drink, Prussia's smirk soon changed to a frown.

 _They didn't back up their promises, yet they still declared war on us. West really should start taking them a lot more seriously than he is._

Putting the now-empty beer bottle down on the table in front of him, the albino let out a sigh of annoyance.

 _He's been listening far too closely to that boss of his._

The ex-nation was soon broken away from his thoughts by the sound of the front door opening. Looking up, he smiled. Hanging up her coat and taking off her shoes was the reason he'd come home.

When their eyes met, the small girl let out a squeal of delight as she ran towards him. "Älterer Bruder, you're back!"

Getting up from the sofa, he picked her up into his arms and twirled her around. "Of course I am. I said I'd come back, didn't I?"

Nodding her head, the free state wrapped her arms around her brother's neck in a hug.

Sitting back down on the sofa, he settled her onto his lap. "I've got something for you".

Hazel eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "You got me a present?"

"Not exactly". Shoving his hand in his pocket, the albino pulled it back out again to reveal the hair clip she'd given him.

"My hair clip!"

"Yep". Using his thumb and forefinger, he slided the hair accessory into place with a satisfied smile on his face. "There. Now that's a much more awesome place to be than my pocket".

Giving her brother a kiss on the cheek in thanks, he returned it with a kiss to her forehead. Causing the brunette to let out a small giggle.

"Did it bring you luck?"

The ex-nation shook his head. "Nein. Like I said, awesome doesn't need luck. Poland was no match for my awesomeness".

The free state pouted. "Then why did it take a month for you to beat him and come home?"

"Well, he proved to be more powerful than I thought. I still kicked his ass and came back home though, didn't I?"

"I suppose". There was a long moment of silence between the two German nations before Schwan-Schloss spoke again. "Älterer Bruder? France and England… d-did they… declare war?"

Prussia let out a deep sigh before answering her. "Ja, they did".

"B-but… why? Why can't things just be left alone and stay the way that they were!"

"If only it were that easy Prinzessin".

"How is West taking this?"

"He's not".

The brunette blinked in confusion. "What do you mean that he's not?"

"What I mean, is that he's not taking their threat seriously enough".

"Not taking it seriously enough? Not taking it seriously enough?! He lost the Great War to those two and he's not taking the threat of them declaring war on him… on us seriously enough?!"

As he rocked the distressed free state back-and-forth in his arms; Prussia stroked his sister's hair in an attempt to calm her down.

"I know Prinzessin, I know. He's been listening too closely to that boss of his. I mean, sometimes we nations can't help but listen to our bosses. Don't worry though, it'll be ok. You will be ok".

"How do you know that?"

"Because… I'm your awesome Älterer Bruder and I'll protect you".

-XxX-

For months Schwan-Schloss waited. She anxiously waited for the sound of Allied planes overhead, for the guns of British and French soldiers as they marched into her brothers' country. However, for some reason, they didn't come.

The free state was confused. England and France had declared war. So, why hadn't they come?

As the attack she'd been waiting for continued to not happen, the brunette's anxiety began to fade. Maybe, just maybe, things had fizzled out and there wouldn't be a war after all.

Schwan-Schloss really hoped that that would be the case.

Little did the small girl know, that come by the next year, her hopes would be all for naught.

-XxX-

 **22nd June, 1941**

The small girl frowned, her arms crossed over her chest. She was not happy.

"Why do you have to go to Russia?"

The ex-nation didn't look at her as he finished packing. "Orders are orders".

Picking up the bag, he slung it over his shoulder and walked out the room and down the stairs. His sister following closely behind him.

"You still haven't anwered my question. Why are you, and West for that matter, going to Russia? I thought he had an alliance with him".

Prussia let out a deep sigh. "It was never a real alliance. Not like his and Feliciano's Pact of Steel. West only made it to make sure that he wouldn't give us any problems when we attacked Poland".

"Oh".

There was a long moment of silence between the two German nations before Prussia spoke again. "Are you sure you'll be alright here by yourself?" His face took on a sour expression as he said his next words. "I can ask Hungary to come look after you… if you want".

Schwan-Schloss shook her head. "No, I'll be fine on my own".

"Ok then". Getting down on his knees, the albino pulled his sister into his arms and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back… soon".

Giving him a hug in return, the brunette then gently pulled out the hair clip she'd given him once before and held it out to him. "I know you said awesome doesn't need luck, but still… just in case".

Once again, Prussia took the offered hair accessory. However, unlike last time, the ex-nation would actually need luck. Other nations had tried to invade Russia in the past and all had failed. Not that he would say that to her of course.

No, instead he gave her another kiss. "I'll be sure to bring it back again".

Getting back up onto his feet, the albino turned away and walked out the front door. Unsure as to whether he'd ever see his dear little sister again.

-XxX-

Notes:

 **Schwan-Schloss's social anxiety** \- Her form of this disorder is that she gets overly anxious at meeting new people. However, if a certain subject is mentioned she'll be able to talk to them but still be somewhat uncomfortable around them. Why did I give her this you may ask? 1. I have this, so I know what I'm writing about. And more importantly, 2. Because I thought it would fit her character. After all, she's quite a small and closed-in micronation that's not really connected with the rest of the world. It makes sense that she would have some kind of people problem.

 **'Naybe, just maybe, things had fizzled out and there wouldn't be a war after all'** \- Phony War/Sitzkrieg/Drôle de Guerre: Begining from 3rd September, 1939, it was an eight-month period of relative peace between the three nations of Germany, France and Britain. It ended on 10th May, 1940 with the Battle of France. At the time though, just like our little free state, most people thought that tensions might fade out with the long period of peace and there would be no war at all.

 **'Other nations had tried to invade Russia in the past and all had failed'** \- Of course we all know France tried and failed to invade Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. However, he was not the first. The first was in fact Sweden with the Invasion of Russia by Charles XII that took place from 1708-1709


	4. Chapter 4

Ugh, I really should've figured out where Schwan-Schloss was going to be before I started writing this thing. I apologise if I've written any of the events wrong. I picked Oppenheim and could only use Wikipedia to look up about it. Sometimes Wikipedia's not the friend you thought it was.

-XxX-

 **August, 1941**

When a knock came at the door, Schwan-Schloss tried to ignore it. Knowing full well not to talk to or let in any strangers. However, she soon stopped when whoever it was called out to her.

"Frauline Beilschmidt? Frauline Beilschmidt! I have a message for you from your brother".

 _A message from Älterer Bruder? It must be important if he sent someone to deliver it personally._

Reaching up, she unlocked the door and slowly opened it. Now staring up at the messenger, the brunette found them to be a black-haired soldier in his early twenties. For some reason, she couldn't explain why, his presence didn't make her social anxiety flare up. Looking closer, she noticed a certain pin on his uniform that explained why.

He was a Schwan-Schlosser.

"Frauline… Beilschmidt?"

"Yes, that's me".

The messenger cleared his throat as a look of embarrassment came upon his face. "I, uh… I thought you'd be"…

"Older?"

"… Taller".

The brunette let out a small giggle at his blushing cheeks. "Don't worry about it, mein bürger. You said you had a message for me".

"Yes, here". Handing her an envelope, she opened it and read its contents.

 _Dear Prinzessin,_

 _We've captured Belarus and Ukraine. I've sent them to you for you to take care of._

 _With love, Your Awesome Älterer Bruder_

The free state frowned as she folded up the letter and placed it back inside its envelope. "Do you have the two of them with you then?"

"Yes, I do. I'll have them brought in".

Disappearing for a moment, the black-haired man returned with Belarus while another soldier followed behind him with Ukraine.

"Where do you want us to put them?"

Schwan-Schloss pointed over to the sofa. "Down there please".

After having followed the order, the soldier left. However, the Schwan-Schlosser stayed. He then got down on one knee and placed a kiss on the small girl's hand.

"Mein Mutterland. It was a privilege to finally meet you".

The free state blushed at the attention he was giving her. "Y-you're welcome mein bürger. May I know your name?"

"It's Faust. Alois Faust".

Getting back up onto his feet, he too eventually left. When the door closed behind him, the free state turned around to face the two older female nations and let out a sigh.

What was she to do now?

Frowning as she looked them over, Schwan-Schloss left the room and quicly returned carrying a first-aid box. Placing it down, she opened it up and set to work in cleaning and dressing their wounds in complete silence.

When finished, she stood back and sighed. Satisfied with her work.

"N-now, that's… better. Y-yes?"

Her question was met with nothing but silence. Looking down at her feet, the brunette let out a deep sigh. Looking up at the nearby clock, she was relieved to find out what time it was.

"Uh, it's-it's teatime. W-would you… would you l-like to… join me?"

Getting yet more silence, Schwan-Schloss turned around and began to make her way to the kitchen. At hearing the footsteps of the two older female nations soon follow her, she sighed once more.

Today was going to be one very long day.

-XxX-

 **August, 1943**

Carrying an empty bowl down with her as she came downstairs, Belarus let out a deep sigh.

"Is Miss Ukraine still in pain?"

Staring down at the small girl that had just spoken, the blonde nodded in response.

"How much longer do you think she'll be like this?"

 _When those bastards leave her people alone._ "… I don't know".

"Oh. What about you Miss Belarus? Are you in any pain?"

"No, not right now". The older female nation's expression then darkened. "Not that it really matters".

"Hm? What do you mean it doesn't matter?"

"What I mean, is that it doesn't really matter because you don't really care. You're just doing what your brother told you to do. Well, it's his fault! It's both their fault that I'm stuck here and my sister's stuck in that bed".

Hazel eyes narrowed into a glare that looked foreign on the brunette's face. "Now hold on a minute! West's been busy in the desert and Älterer Bruder… he may be at war right now, but he wouldn't hurt someone like Miss Ukraine. He's a good person".

The blonde merely snorted. "A good person? Him? I wonder what the rest of Europe would have to say about that".

"Well, he is! He's a much better person than yours. Russia's nothing but bad".

SLAP!

Reaching up a hand to her stinging cheek, Schwan-Schloss stared back at the older female nation in disbelief. Her eyes starting to fill with tears. "Y-you"… Letting out a loud cry, she then ran away upstairs and to her room.

Letting out a deep sigh, Belarus went into the kitchen and placed the bowl she'd still been holding into the sink.

 _As much as I love him, I know all too well that Vanya's no saint. I know that, yet it doesn't stop me from hating it when someone speaks badly about him. Still, I shouldn't have done that. As much as Schwan-Schloss protests to being called one, she is just a child after all. A child who doesn't know any better because her big brother's probably been feeding her stories. I should go and apologise to her._

Wanting to give the small girl some time to calm down, it wasn't until an hour later that Belarus came knocking at the free state's bedroom door. When she entered the room, she found Schwan-Schloss curled up on the bed with her face buried in a pillow.

Slowly walking towards the brunette, she gently shook her shoulder to gain her atention. When she looked up and saw who was standing in front of her, the small girl's eyes went wide as she flinched backwards. Causing her to wince when her back hit against the wall.

Letting out a sigh, Belarus held out the teacup she'd been holding. "Here. I brought you some tea".

Putting the pillow to one side, she gratefullly accepted the drink. Taking a few sips, Schwan-Schloss then took a deep calming breath. Making sure to avoid the blonde's gaze as she did so.

"Also… I came to say that I'm sorry".

The brunette's eyes went wide with shock-surprise. She didn't know what she'd been expecting when Belarus came into her room, however, it certainly hadn't been an apology.

"N-not doing it". Taking a few long sips of her tea, the free state then took a few deep calming breaths before she spoke again. "I'm not doing it because Älterer Bruder told me to. The reason I'm doing it, is because its the right thing to do. That, and at least it means I'm actually doing something while I'm stuck in this house".

"Are you saying you want to be out on the battlefield?"

"Yes. No… I don't know. I just want to be able to do something for Älterer Bruder".

At hearing her answer, the blonde patted the younger female nation on the head in what she hoped was in a reassuring manner. "Maybe you are doing something for him in staying here".

"What do you mean?"

"Well… with you here, he knows that you're safe and he doesn't have to worry about you. Not having to worry about you makes him able to… do what he's doing a lot easier".

Schwan-Schloss let out a sigh of defeat. "I guess you're right".

"Of course I am". Fishing around in her pocket for a moment, Belarus pulled out a small envelope. "Speaking of your brother, here".

The free state's eyes lit up at the sight of the envelope. _Finally. It's been so long since I've had a letter from Älterer Bruder._ Placing the near-empty teacup down on the bedside table, she picked up her glasses from wherever they'd been on the bed. Cleaning them with her sleeve before putting them on.

"I think there may be more than just a letter this time"

 _He got me something? When would he have had the time to do that?_

Taking the envelope from the older female nation, the brunette immediately opened it and reached her hand inside to find out what her brother had gotten her. When she pulled it back out again, a small gasp escaped the small girl's lips when she realised what she was holding.

Her blue cornflower hair clip.

"W-what is this… doing here?"

Belarus cursed inwardly. She too knew what it was and more importantly, what it meant.

She was going to snatch the envelope out of the small girl's hand and tear it into a thousand pieces. However, before she could, the brunette had pulled out the letter and started to read its contents.

 _Dear Prinzessin,_

 _I thought I should give this back to you. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to come back home. I wish I could though. I wish a lot of things._

 _Anyway, I know you're going to be bawling your eyes out. After all, who wouldn't cry at the thought of not being able to bask in my awesome presence? It is pretty awesome. Do me a favour. Don't. Even if I can't be with you, I want you to still be able to smile. Because whenever I saw you smiling up at me, it made life feel just a little bit better._

 _That's really all I have left to say. Except for one more thing. If I never come back, promise me you'll do one thing._

 _Don't forget me._

 _Love always, Your Awesome Älterer Bruder_

By the time she'd finished reading, tears were streaming down Schwan-Schloss's face. She didn't want to believe the words staring back at her. However, there was no denying the handwriting.

Watching the scene unfolding before her, Belarus's near ever-present frown deepened. Removing the letter from the brunette's tight grasp, she stuffed it back into its envelope and put it away in the drawer of the bedside table. The blonde then carefully picked up the hair clip and slid it into place in the small girl's hair.

Before the older female nation could make another move, the free state wrapped her arms tightly around her. The blonde flinched but other than that, she made no protest against the embrace.

Awkwardly returning it with a more gentle one of her own, she patted the brunette on the back a few times. "… There, there. It'll be alright".

-XxX-

 **March, 1945**

For a while now, Schwan-Schloss had been feeling uneasy and that made her worried. The last time she'd felt like this it turned out that she had been right to do so. That's why she'd heavily argued against Belarus and Ukraine's protests about coming here.

Taking in the sights and sounds of the people around her, the brunette allowed herself a small smile. It had been quite some time since she'd last been in her own country.

It was then that she overheard something that proved her right once again.

They're coming. The Allies are coming.

That was why the free state was currently standing where she was. With a gun in hand, she kept up a vigilant watch for their arrival.

 _Why are they coming here anyway? I haven't done anything to make the Allies want to invade me. I couldn't have. Up until now, I've been stuck in that house. Then again, maybe it's just because I'm a German nation. That, and because of that stupid annexation, I'm technically West's property. It makes sense that they'd want to invade. Still reason or no reason, I'm not letting them in without a fight._

As she finished that line of thought, the brunette saw movement coming from in the distance. They came closer and closer, until finally…

BĀNG!

Managing to shoot one of the soldiers in the knee and cause him to fall to the ground, Schwan-Schloss quickly avoided the others returning fire on her.

Ducking behind a building for cover, she breathed heavily. Her heart pounding as adrenaline rushed through her body. _There's too many of them. I wasn't expecting this large a group. Still, it's too late to back down now._

Suddenly she was blown backwards by the blast of a grenade. Tears fell from the brunette's eyes as she cried out in pain. Pressing her sleeve against the side of her head, blood soaked through the white cotton from a gash there that had been caused by her being hit by debris.

Hazel eyes soon narrowed into a dark glare as the free state heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her. As she waited for the soldier to arrive, Schwan-Schloss ripped off pieces from the skirt of her dress and used them to bandage up her wound.

When they finally approached her, the small girl let out a small gasp. He wasn't a soldier or a man. He was a nation. A nation that looked very much like…

"Mr Canada?"

The blond let out a small laugh. "Matt's going to love you for saying that. Anyway, I'm here to take you in".

The brunette's surprised expression turned back to its original glare and frown. "Take me in? I'd like to see you tr"…

Her arguement was cut off by a shriek as he picked her up into his arms. "Put me down! I'm warning you America, put me down right now!" Schwan-Schloss screamed as she kicked and punched the older male nation in an attempt to make him let go.

"Nope. Like I said before, I'm taking you in".

Having finally been worn down, the younger female nation decided to give in. "Fine! Take me in then".

"Good girl".

The small girl pouted as the blond patted her on the head. "Don't treat me like a child. I'm a nation".

"Sorry".

-XxX-

Notes:

 **'They're coming'** \- Operation Lumberjack: A military operation in which the Americans captured and managed to cross the Ludendorff bridge. As a result, they ended up taking the town the bridge was connected to (Ramagen) and Oppenheim

-XxX-

Translations:

Mein bürger = My citizen


	5. Chapter 5

This will be the last chapter in which Schwan-Schloss is the cute little girl you all know and (hopefully) love. After this, she'll be the full-grown adult mentioned in my GerIta fanfic and who I hope to cosplay as once I get a workable printer.

-XxX-

 **7th May, 1945**

It had been a long time since Schwan-Schloss had been back home. Her home. At first, the place had felt so alien to her. It was like it was some foreign land instead of her childhood home and that had made her feel sad.

Eventually though, the feeling faded away. As days blurred into weeks and weeks into months, the free state ended up recieving a knock on her front door.

"Hello? … Schwan-Schloss?"

It took a moment for her to recognise the soft male voice, after all, it had been years since she'd last heard it. When she did, the small girl opened the door.

"Mr Canada? What are you doing here?"

The blond's eyes went wide with surprise. "You remember me?"

"Oui, bien sur je le fais. Pourquoi demandez-vous?"

"Sans raison. -Ahem- Anyway, I came to tell you that the war's over".

Hazel eyes went wide with shock-surprise as the brunette let out a small gasp. "It's over? Really?"

"Yes, and I'm going to take you to see your brothers".

"Wait, brothers? You mean… they're both still alive?"

"Of course".

The North American nation backed up in alarm as the free state's eyes started to fill with tears. "Are… are you alright?"

"Yes. I-I'm fine. Just… just give me a-a moment". Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, Schwan-Schloss left for a moment and came back wearing a coat, gloves and shoes and carrying her handbag. "Ok, I'm ready now. Let's go".

"Uh, ok then".

Shutting and locking the door behind her, the free state followed Canada to his car and they both got in.

When they drove away, the car was filled with a long silence. Finally, the blond decided to say something. "So… when you first saw my brother, you mistook him for me".

The brunette jumped at the sudden sound of the older male nation's voice. "Oh, yes. For some reason, he said that you'd love me for saying that. I never understood why".

"Because normally, it's the other way around. That, or I get forgotten. A lot and very easily".

At hearing the tone of his voice, the small girl regretted that the subject had been brought up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Although, what you said before now makes sense. If it'll make you feel better, I won't forget you Mr Canada".

"You know, you don't have to keep calling me Mr Canada. Canada's just fine. Or even just Matthew".

"Uh, ok then… Matthew. If I'm going to be calling you by your name from now on, maybe you should call me mine".

"I suppose that's fair. Would you tell me what it is?"

"Of course. It's Lorelei".

The blond's brows furrowed. "Lorelei?"

"Oui". At hearing the tone of his voice, the free state frowned and crossed her arms. "Do you have a problem with my name?"

"Not at all. It's… interesting".

"Well, I like it. My… Gilbert. Gilbert gave it to me".

"Is that why you like it?"

"… Yes. That, and because it sounds pretty".

The car went silent once again. This time, a lot more awkward than before. It was then that the brunette realised where they were heading.

"Matthew, why are we driving to a hospital?"

"Because that's where your brothers are".

"Oh".

As they drove closer to the hospital, Schwan-Schloss clenched her hands into fists in an attempt to hide her nervously twitching fingers. Trying not to think so negatively about her brothers.

Just because she was going to visit her brothers at a hospital, that didn't mean something terrible had happened to them. Right?

Right?

-XxX-

"So… why exactly are my brothers here?"

"Well, Ludwig's suffering from all that bombing and Gilbert"…

"Yes?"

"… I don't think I should tell you. I don't think you could handle it".

Schwan-Schloss frowned and crossed her arms. "Don't patronise me. I may look like one, but I am not a child. Whatever you tell me, I will react to it like the adult I really am".

Canada let out a sigh. "Ok, I'll tell you".

For the next few minutes, he told her exactly what had happened. By the time he finished, the brunette was breathing heavily. Her face pale.

"Lorelei?"

Running towards the nearest bin, the small girl threw up. When she'd finished being sick, the brunette dabbed at her mouth with her handkerchief.

"Here".

Folding up her hankerchief and putting it back in her handbag, the free state accepted the paper cup of water the older male nation was offering her.

"Thank you".

Taking a sip, she swirled the water around in her mouth before spitting it out into the bin.

Taking the cup when she handed it to him, Canada patted Schwan-Schloss on the shoulder. "Do you feel better now?"

"A little bit. I think I'm ready to go in and see them now".

"Good. I'll be right here if you need me".

"Thank you". Giving him a quick hug, the free state began to walk down the halls until she finally reached a certain door. Opening it and entering the room, she was soon greeted by the sight of a heavily bandaged Germany.

"Schwester?"

"Hello West".

There was a long moment of silence between the two German nations before the brunette spoke again.

"Did you know?"

At seeing the knowing look in his sister's eyes, the blond lowered his head. "… Yes. But I didn't take part in any of it. I swear".

"I believe you. Did you know… about… well, you know".

The older German nation shook his head. "No, I didn't know about that". Another moment of silence passed between them before he spoke again. "It's my fault".

Letting out a deep sigh, Schwan-Schloss walked over to her brother and wrapped her arms around his neck in what she hoped was a reassuring hug. She soon gazed up in alarm when she heard the sound of small sobs. The alarm quickly turning into surprise as she saw her brother cry for the first time.

Unwrapping one of her arms from around his neck, the brunette wiped away the blond's tears. "It's ok West. It wasn't your fault".

A few long minutes passed with her comforting him like this before the free state finally left the room. Closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath before walking towards the door of the next room.

Reaching out a hand for the doorknob, her fingers began twitching nervously. Shaking it out a few times, she tried again, this time succeeding and opening the door. When she entered the room, Schwan-Schloss felt as if her heart stopped. For tucked up in the hospital bed was a frail and deathly-looking Prussia hooked up to an IV drip.

Walking over to him as quietly as she could, the brunette sat down in the chair next to the bed. Hesitantly, she took the albino's hand in hers and tears soon filled her eyes when she noticed how fragile it looked compared to the many times she'd held it before.

"Prinzessin?"

Hazel eyes went wide as they stared into weary crimson. "Älterer Bruder?"

"Ja, it's me. I'm here".

Unsure as to what to say next to each other, they sat/layed in silence before Schwan-Schloss finally managed to bring up something she wanted to talk about.

"So… what was that last letter all about?"

Prussia winced. He was hoping that she wouldn't bring this up. Keeping his gaze on everything around the room but his sister's face, he eventually answered her. "I couldn't tell you where I was going".

"So you thought a better idea was to make me think you were going to die? Because that's what I thought. I thought you were dead".

"Well, I didn't know if I was going to come out of… that place alive".

At hearing that, the brunette kept her gaze trained to the ground. "Oh, right, I'm sorry".

Letting out a sigh, the ex-nation gave his sister's hand a squeeze to get her to look at him again. "I'm sorry too".

The small girl shook her head and gave her brother a small smile. "No, it's ok. You don't have to apologise. You're alive and that's all that matters".

The albino returned her smile with one of his own. "Don't worry, I intend to be for a very long time".

Once again the room filled with silence before the ex-nation let out a small yawn.

"I can go if you need more rest".

"I really want to say no, but"…

Getting the message, Schwan-Schloss gave his hand a small squeeze before letting go and got up from her seat. Walking over to the door, she gave the now-sleeping Prussia one last look before leaving the room.

When she made her way back to where Canada had been waiting for her, he frowned when he saw the expression on the free state's face. "Did something happen?"

The brunette shook her head. "No, nothing happened. I'm fine. My brothers are fine. I just want to go home".

At hearing the tone of her voice, the blond was going to pry more. However, he thought it was better to just leave it alone. "Ok, I'll take you home then".

"Thank you".

-XxX-

 **August, 1945**

Schwan-Schloss was both nervous and excited.

She'd heard from Canada that she was going to get more land and be called a republic from now on. Just like Hungary had said all those years ago, the brunette was finally going to get to grow up and she was very much looking forward to it.

That was why she was currently checking herself out in the bathroom mirror for what must have been at least the fifth time now.

When she saw nothing about her had changed, the small girl let out a small huff in annoyance before she came out of the bathroom and went into the lounge. Slumping down on the sofa as ladylike as possible, she rested her chin in her hand and let out yet another huff.

"Schwester, how many times are you going to keep doing that?"

Looking up, the free state sat up properly when she saw Germany carrying a cup of tea for her. Accepting the drink when he handed it to her, she took a small sip before answering him.

"Until I see some sort of noticeable change".

The blond let out a deep sigh. "I thought I already told you. When nations age, if at all, it's a very slow process. No matter how much you want to, you're not going to turn into an adult overnight".

Not dignifying his comment with a verbal response, the brunette merely rolled her eyes and took a long sip of her tea.

"You never know West, she could. Although, I don't know why she's in such a rush to grow up".

Turning around to look up at her brother, she took a sip of her tea before answering him. "Thank you. And I'm not really in any rush. It's just that I'm tired of the other nations treating me like a child when I'm just as much a nation as they are".

"Well, the fact that you have a bedtime might not help. Speaking of which"…

"Oh, right". Finishing her tea and placing the cup down on the table, Schwan-Schloss gave Prussia a certain look. Getting what she wanted, the ex-nation picked his sister up into his arms.

"Guten Nacht West".

"Guten Nacht Schwester".

Carrying her up the stairs and into the bedroom she was staying in, he placed the small girl down on the bed and turned to walk away

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I'm just going to get something".

Leaving the room, the ex-nation came back a few seconds later with a small pile of clothes in his arms.

"Here. Just in case you do grow up overnight".

"Thank you". Taking the pile out of his hands, the free state put it down on the bed next to her. "It's nice to see that you're taking this seriously".

"Well, I really think it could happen. It's happened before. Just ask Alfred".

"Having seen him now, I'm not surprised".

Leaning down, the albino gave the brunette a hug. "Guten Nacht Prinzessin".

"Guten Nacht Älterer Bruder".

When he left the room, Schwan-Schloss changed into the clothes he'd given her. Taking off her glasses and hair clips, she placed them down on the bedside table before getting into the bed and turning off the bedside lamp.

Closing her eyes and shifting around in the covers for a few long minutes, she finally, finally managed to fall asleep.

-XxX-

Schwan-Schloss soon jolted awake. Taking a few long moments to try and slow her breathing, she waited for her heart to stop pounding. When she finally managed to calm herself down, the brunette frowned in thought.

 _What was that all about? Sure, I've dreamt about marrying Älterer Bruder many times before but it was never like… that. It was always just me and him in a dress and suit. We'd sign the papers, slip on our rings and that was it. No romance. And most certainly no kiss…_

Her face going red, she shook her head to rid it of that particular thought.

 _Maybe I should forget about all this and go back to sleep._

Thinking it was a good idea, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep.

-XxX-

When she woke up again, the German nation whimpered as she felt a growing pain in her stomach.

 _What's happening to me? Is it my economy? Some freak storm hitting me? What?! What is it?_

Breaking down, she cried in frustration as she rubbed her stomach in a vain attempt to make it feel better.

It was then that the bedroom door opened and she was relieved to see Prussia enter the room.

At seeing his sister in distress, he rushed to her side and stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her down. "Hey Prinzessin, what's wrong?"

"… My stomach hurts".

His face going paler than usual as he realised what that meant, the albino got her out of bed and started marching her towards the bathroom.

"Where are we going?"

"The bathroom".

"Uh, ok. Can I ask why?"

"No, not yet".

As they passed him in the hall, Germany raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"Our Prinzessin finally hit puberty".

When the two German nations entered the bathroom and the door closed behind them, the blond grimaced. Going downstairs, he went to go use the phone.

He loved his sister but there was no way he, or his brother for that matter, would be capable of explaining what was happening to her right now

-XxX-

 **25th February, 1947**

Fisting her hands into the folds of her dress to try and hide her nervously twitching fingers, the small republic was surprised she hadn't managed to tear it to pieces yet with how hard she was clenching it.

Glancing to her right, she saw Germany sat up straight in his chair. Back stiffened, fists clenched. She couldn't tell from the look on his face, however, his shaking hands gave away the fact that this was affecting him just as badly as it was affecting her.

When Italy noticed this too, he took his friend's hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Sighing, Germany returned the gesture.

Seeing that her brother was being taken care of, Schwan-Schloss turned to her left to look at Prussia. His expression was unreadable but she had a good idea as to what was going through his mind. After all, this meeting was to decide his fate as a nation.

She wanted so much to hold his hand right now and give him some sort of comfort and reassurance, like he'd done for her so many times before. However, with her fingers twitching so badly, she thought the gesture would come across as her wanting reassurance instead of giving it.

Sighing, she kept her gaze trained to the ground as the Allies soon filed in and sat down at the podium.

"Prussia, please step forward".

Doing as he was told, the albino strode over to the podium. Standing tall and proud before the victorious nations.

England cleared his throat a few times before he started to read aloud the contents of the document in front of him.

"We the Allied Control Council, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The United States of America, The French Republic and The Soviet Union hereby find Prussia to be the source of Germany's militarism. An evil seed that sowed the path for both of our world's bloodiest conflicts. As such, acting in what we believe to be in the best interests of Germany and the rest of the world, we the nations of the Allied Control Council hereby declare that Prussia is to be dissolved".

At first, the island nation's words hadn't sunk in properly. However, after a few moments and the sounds of Germany's shouted protests, she realised what had just happened.

 _Dissolved? B-but that's…_ "No". The brunette's eyes soon filled with tears. "No!"

England cleared his throat once again. "We'll give you a moment to say your goodbyes. Then… then you'll be taken away into the custody of the Soviet Union".

Nodding in resigned unederstanding, Prussia first turned towards Germany.

"West"… the albino's resigned crimson eyes stared into the sad, almost tearful gaze of his younger brother. They stood there in silence for a long moment before the blond put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his older brother's Iron Cross.

"Here".

Prussia shook his head. "No, you keep it".

Clenching the necklace tight in his fist, Germany let his unshed tears finally fall as he hugged his older brother.

"Bruder… why?"

"You shouldn't cry West. You're a big brother too, so toughen up and act like one. Take care of our Prinzessin for me while I'm gone, ja?"

Giving a nod in reply, the blond released his grasp on the ex-nation. Turning his attention to their sister, Prussia leaned down to give her a hug.

"Äl-Älterer Bruder. P-please… please don't go".

With a sigh, he stroked the brunette's hair. "I'm sorry Prinzessin, but I have to. We lost and now we have to face the consequences. Please, don't blame West for this. It's not his fault".

"I know".

Letting their embrace continue on for a little while longer, they finally let go of each other and Prussia went to go join the side of an impatient Russia.

"Ready to go?"

"No. Not that that really matters though, does it?" He spat, eyes narrowing into a dark glare. "It's not like I've got a choice".

"True". Grabbing a painfully tight hold on Prussia's arm, the Soviet's lips curved up into a childish smile. "Come along now Gilbert". He let out an equally childish yet chilling laugh. "I can't wait to get you home".

As she watched her brother being pulled away and out of the room, something didn't sit well with Schwan-Schloss.

Jumping out of her chair, the brunette avoided being grabbed by anyone who would've wanted to stop her and started running. Running down the halls and out into the snow, she kept on running until before she knew it, the small republic wasn't that far away from the two retreating nations.

 _So close, I'm almost there. I'm almost there Älterer Bruder._

Unfortunately, before the brunette could go any further, she tripped and fell to the ground. Reaching out a futile hand, she tried calling out to him but anything Schwan-Schloss had to say fell on deaf ears as they became smaller and smaller until they disappeared completely.

Letting her arm fall back down, she layed there in the snow as loud sobs wracked her body. So deep in her sorrow, the small republic didn't notice anyone else was there until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. A pair of arms she hadn't been held in for a very long time.

Letting her bury her head in his shoulder, Germany rocked his sister as she soaked his suit with her tears.

"… It-it'll be alright Schwester. Somehow".

-XxX-

Notes:

 **Dissolution of Prussia** \- In 1933, Hitler dissolved Prussia and turned it into a military base. The Allies then officially dissolved the nation of Prussia in 1947. Obviously what England was reading wasn't the real document. However, in every fanfic I've read about his dissolution, no one ever does. Having found it on Wikipedia, I can see why. There was so much legal jargon, it actually gave me a headache.

-XxX-

Translations:

 **French**

Oui, bien sur je le fais. Pourquoi demandez-vous? = Yes, of course I do. Why do you ask?

Sans raison = No reason


	6. Chapter 6

Remember how I said the rating would go up? This and the next chapter's the reason why.

-XxX-

 **Sometime In 1950…**

Waking up, Schwan-Schloss let out a sigh of exasperation as she felt a certain wetness between her thighs.

Once again, she'd had one of… those dreams.

Getting up out of bed, she went and got washed and dressed before going downstairs to the kitchen.

As she made herself some breakfast, the small republic began to think.

 _These dreams, what do they mean? Have my feelings for Älterer Bruder… for Gilbert changed? Ugh, this is all so confusing._

Sitting down at the table, she began to eat her toast and drink her tea. It was then a thought crossed the brunette's mind.

 _I wonder if America ever had this problem? They may be a couple now, but he used to be England's colony. They used to have a brotherly relationship. What happened? Maybe I should ask him for some advice about… this._

Getting up from her chair, she cleared up after herself before going into the hall and picking up the phone.

Yes, this was a very good idea. What did she have to lose?

-XxX-

Hearing a knock at her front door, Schwan-Schloss went to go answer it. Seeing who it was, she gave them a small smile.

"Hello Mr America".

The superpower pouted. "Lorelei, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Alfred? Mr America makes me feel old".

"I'm sorry. Would you like to come in? I've just put the kettle on".

"You've got coffee?"

"Yes".

Coming in, he shut the door behind him and followed the younger female nation into the kitchen. As he sat down at the table, she began rummaging around the cupboards.

"Would you like some cake?"

"Yeah, sure. I've heard from Mattie that your plum cake's awesome".

"Well, tell him I said thank you next time you see him".

Setting down a cup of coffee and a bowlful of cake and cream in front of him, she went to get her cup of tea before sitting down in the chair opposite him. They sat there eating and drinking in silence for a long moment before the blond decided to finally speak.

"So… you didn't just call me to invite me over for tea, did you?"

"You're drinking coffee".

"Lorelei".

Her cheeks turning a slight pink colour, the brunette stared down at her now-empty teacup for a moment before looking back up and answering him. "I, uh… I was wondering"… She paused to clear her throat and kept her gaze trained to the table before continuing on. "When did you stop thinking of England as a brother-figure?"

"What?"

"When and how did you fall in love with him?"

"Oh, that. Well, it was when I was the same physical age you were when Gilbert was"…

"Dissolved?"

"Yeah, that. Anyway, to be honest, I don't really know how it happened. It just did".

"Oh". Schwan-Schloss frowned. _Well, that was helpful._

"Why do you ask?"

Her face going red, she stayed completely silent.

"Oh. Ohhh".

"I-I've been having these… these dreams… about Gilbert".

"And now you're not sure how you feel about him?"

When the brunette nodded in response, the older male nation thought for a moment.

"What kind of dreams? Sexual?"

"Y-yes".

"Ok then. In these dreams, have you ever heard him say that he loves you?"

"Yes. Does that mean anything?"

"Maybe. Have you?"

"No. When he does, the dream ends before I can say anything back".

He paused to think for a moment before asking the hardest question of all.

"Do you think you're in love with him?"

"I don't know!" The small republic hagan to cry in frustration. "I-I don't… know".

Letting out a deep sigh, the superpower patted her on the head. "Listen, you don't have to rush this. Just take your time and think about it"

"Ok".

-XxX-

 **24th June, 1950**

Slumping down on the kitchen table, Schwan-Schloss took another long gulp of her beer before slamming the glass back down again.

She hated being like this but she saw no other way.

Hearing a knock at the door, the small republic groaned. _Go away. Leave me alone so I can live out the rest of my lonely existence in somewhat peace._

Draining what was the last few dregs of her drink, she then rested her head down on the table and drifted off into unconciousness. A smile now on her face as she dreamt of the person she wished was here with her.

When he managed to let himself in, Germany sighed as he gazed down at the poor brunette passed out on the table.

Carefully picking her up into his arms, the blond carried his sister upstairs and laid her down on her bed. Lingering for a moment longer than he needed to, he then turned and went back downstairs.

As he cleared away the empty beer bottles he frowned _. How long has this been going on? Moths? Years? Since she had her first beer? How could I have missed this?_

On, he knew why he hadn't noticed. He was too busy wallowing in his own misery. Well, that stopped now. Time for him to step up and act like the older brother he was supposed to be.

Checking the kitchen then the rest of the house, Germany sighed in relief as there was no more alcohol to be found. He then went upstairs to go check on how Schwan-Schloss was doing and was glad to see that she was now awake.

"West"… Anything else the brunette was about to say soon died in her throat as she jumped off the bed and rushed to the bathroom.

Following her to make sure she'd be ok, the blond winced at the sight of her throwing up. With a sigh, he held back his sister's hair and soothingly rubbed her back as she continued to give her 'offerings' to the porcelain Goddess.

When finally finished, he flushed the toilet and helped her get up steady on her feet.

"I'm sorry". The brunette stared down at the tiled floor, her face full of shame. "I'm sorry you had to see that".

"No, it's ok". He gave her a small smile that he hoped was reassuring. "Go clean yourself up. There'll be a glass of water and some painkillers waiting for you when you come downstairs".

Going back to the kitchen, Germany sighed once again as he filled a glass with cold water from the sink. Placing the glass on the table, he went to go find where Schwan-Schloss kept the painkillers.

As he found the pills, the small republic entered the kitchen. When she sat down at the table, she gratefully took the promised items the blond handed to her. Shoving both pills into her mouth and downing them with a long sip of water, the brunette finally decided to speak.

"So, did you decide to come here to check up on me? Or was there something you wanted?"

"Well, there was something important I wanted to talk to you about". Germany started, sitting down in the chair opposite her. "But it can wait a moment. Now tell me Schwester, how long has… this been going on?"

The younger German nation sighed. She should've known he was going to ask that question.

"… A while. I tried. I tried every distraction I could think of but after a while they stopped working. I hate being like this. I hate that I can't handle being alone without a beer in my hand".

The blond reached out over the table to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It'll get be"…

"No it won't!" The small republic snapped, snatching her hand out of his grasp. "It's easy for you to say it'll get better, you have Feliciano! The man you love is constantly there, trying his hardest to make sure you don't feel alone".

Looking away, he tried to hide his blushing cheeks. "It-it's not… we're not… we're not like that".

"Don't deny it West. Anyone who sees you two together can tell. Anyway, back to the subject at hand, the more I drink is the faster I can pass out. The longer that I'm passed out is the longer I can dream about"…

"About what?"

The brunette inwardly sighed in relief at having been able to stop herself from saying any more. Now she needed a quick recovery.

"About… things. Nothing important".

"Schwester". Not buying her excuse, Germany gave his sister a look that brooked no refusal.

Schwan-Schloss let out a long sigh before answering him. "… About Gilbert. I've had… well, been having this dream ever since I was still a free state. A dream that's become more detailed, more romantic and more… more".

"What is this dream about?"

"… Our wedding".

The blond's eyes went wide in shock-surprise. "You've been dreaming about marrying Gilbert?"

"Ja. Originally, I wanted to marry him so no one else could dissolve him. Now, I want to for a whole different reason. -Ahem- Anyway, you said you had something important to talk to me about. What is it?"

"A war's started between North and South Korea. Our governments are deciding on whether we should go in or not".

The small republic blinked in confusion. "Korea? But that's all the way over in Asia, it's nothing to do with us. Why would we be going in there?"

"Because America's gone in to back up the South Koreans. At the same time, the North Koreans are getting support from Russia".

"Oh. Ohhh". Her eyes lit up in recognition as she realised what her brother was getting at. "it's really a war between those two, isn't it?"

"Pretty much".

Schwan-Schloss's lips curved up into a smirk. "Well, that changes things. If it's against Russia I'm in".

"Good. We could always use more med"…

"No West. When I go in, I'll be going in to fight".

-XxX-

 **October, 1950**

Grabbing tightly onto her gun, Schwan-Schloss charged out onto the battlefield. Her breathing heavy as the sound of flying bullets and the screams of the wounded and dying rang through the air.

At first, it seemed like her and the UN's forces were winning. However, after long hours of fighting, they were sent backwards into a retreat.

Slowly hauling her heavily injured body as she followed the rest of her men, the brunette received a shot to the back and fell to the ground. Hitting her head as she did so and falling into the darkness of unconciousness.

-XxX-

Slowly returning to consciousness, the first thing Schwan-Schloss noticed was how cold it was. Blinking a few times to clear her vision, the brunette tried to gather her bearings and figure out where she was.

Surveying the dimly-lit room, she realised she was lying on a bed. The brunette then stared down at herself and saw that someone had taken the time to treat her wounds. She then frowned as she caught sight of her wrists.

Handcuffs.

Apparently she'd been captured. Question was, by who?

"Oh, you're finally awake then?"

The small republic jumped. "Russia?!" Jerking upwards, she winced as the action sent a wave of pain through her body and she fell back down. "Where am I?"

"Why, in my house of course".

Schwan-Schloss's eyes widened. "Y-your house? Why aren't I with the other soldiers who got captured?"

"That's because you're a special prisoner".

The Soviet pouted as his words sent shivers down the brunette's spine. "Don't look so frightened, Little Swan. This is merely a token of my gratitude for taking care of my dear sisters during that war".

Pulling a small silver key out of his pocket, Russia unlocked her restraints. "You're allowed anywhere around the house. I'm sure you understand that going outside is forbidden though, da?"

"I understand".

-XxX-

The first few days of her being there, she had spent them recovering from her injuries. After that, she didn't know what to do with herself and simply stayed in her room.

As she layed there on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, the German nation's mind turned to something that had been bothering her for quite some time now.

Where was Prussia?

Surely Russia would've told him she was here, wouldn't he? So, why hadn't he ever come to see her?

Sighing, Schwan-Schloss went back to counting the tiles on the ceiling for what must've been the umpteenth time. She soon stopped though when she heard the sound of the door opening. Sitting up, she hoped the person to be the ex-nation in question she'd been thinking about. The brunette soon frowned in disappointment though as she found it only to be Ukraine.

"You know Miss Schwan-Schloss, you don't have to stay in here. It's not like you're a prisoner".

"I am a prisoner. That's why I'm here in the first place!" The small republic spat. Crossing her arms, she turned away to glare down at the floor. "I'd rather have stayed with the other soldiers".

"Funny, I thought you would've enjoyed the idea of seeing your brother again".

Looking up in the direction the familiar voice had come from, she saw Belarus standing there in the doorway.

"I do… well, I would, if he actually came to see me". A look of panic soon filled Schwan-Schloss's face as a certain thought crossed her mind. "He isn't… dead… is he?"

The blonde shook her head. "No, he's still alive".

The German nation sighed in relief. "Well, that's good to hear. So, Russia just must've not told him I was here".

"Yes, but that's not exactly why"…

"Natalya".

The brunette looked at both of the older female nations in confusion. "That's not exactly why what?"

"Katyusha, she is Gilbert's sister. She deserves to know".

Looking between the two younger female nations, Ukraine then sighed in resignation. "Fine".

Schwan-Schloss became even more confused when Belarus left, only for the blonde to return and place a key in her hand.

"This key is to the basement. Gilbert… he's down there".

The small republic clenched her fist tightly around the cold metal. "You mean Russia's locked him down there. This is why he hasn't come to see me, isn't it?"

"Yes".

-XxX-

The ex-nation hung from his shackles on the wall, not bothering to look up as the door to his 'room' slowly creaked open. After all, it wouldn't be anyone other than Russia back for another round of 'fun'.

"Mein Gott".

Crimson eyes went wide with shock when they stared up at the owner of the voice. Although her face looked older than the last time he'd seen it, there was no mistaking the hook-and-reel hair curl.

"Pr-Prinzessin?"

Taking small hesitant steps towards him, Schwan-Schloss placed a gentle hand on the albino's cheek. As she surveyed each injury he'd been inflicted with, she felt something dark rise up in the pit of her stomach.

She knew what it was. It was hatred. A hatred she'd never felt before.

"Bastard!" She spat as she stroked the thankfully uninjured cheek. "What the Hell does he think you are? Some… some… toy?"

Prussia was quite put off by the tone of the brunette's voice. Never in all her life had she sounded so angry.

Suddenly, a look of pure fear came upon his face. Before she could ask him what was wrong, there came a whooshing sound followed by something that was smashed into the side of the small republic's head. Knocking off her glasses and causing her to fall to the ground.

Pulling herself up into a sitting position, Schwan-Schloss clutched her now bleeding head and stared with watery eyes into the face of what had filled Prussia with such fear.

Russia.

Turning his attention to the ex-nation, the Soviet frowned. "You were planning to escape, weren't you?"

At getting no answer, he struck the albino in the chest with his pipe.

At hearing the sickening sound of cracking ribs and Prussia's cry of pain, something snapped inside of the small republic. Rushing forward, she dug teeth and nails into Russia's arm in a desperate attempt to make him drop his pipe.

"No, Prinzessin… don't!"

Tsking, the Soviet pulled back his fist and slammed it into Schwan-Schloss's face to try to get her to let go but she didn't budge. Even after punch after punch, the brunette clung on until he finally dropped it. Snatching it out of mid-air before it could clatter to the ground, the small republic smashed it into Russia's face. Causing the Soviet to take a few steps backward.

Taking deep shuddering breaths, her hands were shaking as she clenched the cold metal so tightly that her knuckles almost turned white. "Stay. The Hell. Away. From him".

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Russia's eyes filled with anger. Flinching in fear, Schwan-Schloss still managed to hold her ground.

When he took a few steps towards her, she hit him again. This time in the chest. A sick satisfaction filling her when she heard the sound of his ribs crack.

"Did I not make myself clear? Stay away".

"But he needs to be punished. You both need to be punished".

They stood there staring each other down, neither of them backing down. A long while passed with the two nations like this before the brunette let out a deep sigh and dropped the pipe to the ground.

"Fine! But punish me, not him".

At hearing that, Prussia began struggling against his shackles. "No Prinzessin, don't say that. You have no idea what he's capable of!"

Turning his attention to the ex-nation, the Soviet then looked back at the small republic again. A malicious grin came on his face as a thought crossed his mind.

"All of it? You'll take all of his punishment?"

"Yes".

-XxX-

Grabbing her by the neck, Russia threw Schwan-Schloss onto the ground. Dazed by hitting her head, the next thing the brunette knew his rough lips forced themselves on hers. Eyes widening in realisation, she started struggling against him.

Harshly grabbing her by the back of her hair, the blond increased the force of his kiss. Only when she stopped and he felt her body weaken due to the lack of oxygen, did he finally let go.

Taking advantage of her weakened state, Russia soon made the small republic fill the room with her screams as he viciously tore off her uniform.

Now completely naked, she shivered with the cold and fear as the Soviet ran a finger down her body.

"N-no. Don't… don't touch me".

Stopping only a few inches away from her nether region, his lips curved up into a smirk. "You're a virgin, aren't you?"

Turning her head away, the brunette didn't answer him. Only managing to mutter out another 'don't touch me'.

If it were possible, Russia's smirk grew even bigger. "I guess I'll just have to find out".

Schwan-Schloss soon let out a cry as three fingers were shoved into her entrance. Another reaching up to rub the small pink nub located above.

Biting her lip, she tried to suppress a moan but it still came out. Making Russia's fingers go harder and faster.

"P-please… stop. Please. I-I don't… I don't want this".

"Don't lie Little Swan, you want this".

After what felt like hours, the blond finally withdrew his fingers. Licking as much fluid off them as he could.

Shutting her eyes, Schwan-Schloss tried to shut out everything around her. Wanting to pretend that this was just some bad dream she would soon wake up from and find herself back in her 'room'.

Hazel eyes soon snapped wide open when the brunette heard the sound of rustling fabric and the jingle of a belt. Fear-filled, they stared pleadingly into cold violet. Hoping to find some mercy within their gaze. However, as she should've known, there was none.

He too knowing what was about to happen, Prussia struggled the hardest his strength could muster against his shackles. Ignoring the dull pain throbbing in his wrists from the effort. "DON'T YOU DARE! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE, YOU SICK BASTARD!"

Prising Schwan-Schloss's thighs apart, Russia entered her in one swift thrust. Smirking at hearing her scream as he tore through her virginity.

"Well, it looks like I was right. I'm surprised. Considering how close you are with… whatever his name is, I thought you would've fucked him at least once. Or France".

She didn't respond to his taunting. Or, to be more accurate, she couldn't. The only sounds she could make were the screams she let out as his thick member rutted away inside her.

"Or maybe, you were saving yourself for someone".

Staring up at the ex-nation, Schwan-Schloss tried to telegraph to him with her eyes that she had been saving herself. For him. That she wanted him to be the one and only one to ever be inside her. However, he didn't see it that way. He thought the look in her eyes was a plea for help. A olea he sadly couldn't answer.

Seeing it for what it really was, Russia let out a dark chuckle. "And here I thought Little Sister was the only one who had those sort of thoughts. Those… disgusting thoughts. Well, he won't love you now. Not after this".

The brunette's screams soon changed to sobs when the blond's thrusts turned to an almost blinding pace. Pistoning in and out of her like an animal, he could feel himself coming close to completion. Grabbing a firm hold of her chin, Russia forced his lips on hers again. The salty taste of the small republic's pain-filled tears being what finally sent him over the edge.

Schwan-Schloss cringed at the feeling of his blazingly hot semen shooting into her. She shook her head, sending tears and sweat flying. "Too much! It's too much! Take it out! Oh God, just take it out!"

The Soviet merely stared down at her with that malicious grin of his. "No, this is your punishment. A fitting punishment for someone as disgusting as you".

Finally, after releasing what felt like a semi-bucketload inside of her, Russia pulled out. As he did so, Schwan-Schloss screamed as she felt like her insides had been pulled out along with him.

Letting out a few deep shuddering breaths, the brunette closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax. At last, it was all over.

Unfortunately, she was soon proved wrong when Russia moved up her body and grabbed her by the back of her hair.

"W-what are you… doing?"

"Silly Little Swan. We're not finished with your punishment just yet".

-XxX-

Putting his coat back on, Russia stared down at the small republic who now gazed blankly up at the ceiling.

"You still want to take your brother's punishment, da?"

Silence.

"I'll take that as a yes".

The Soviet pulled a key from out of his pocket and with it, he released Prussia from his shackles. Causing him to fall to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"Go. Comfort your little sister. It is the only thing you can do for her".

At seeing crimson eyes narrow into a dark glare, the blond's lips curved up into a childish smile of amusement before he closed and locked the door behind him. Leaving the two German nations to be alone together.

Turning his attention to his sister, the ex-nation crawled over to her and placed a hand on her uninjured cheek.

"Hey, Prinzessin. Are you… are you ok in there?"

Getting no answer in reply, the albino grew worried. Gently patting her cheek, he tried calling out to her again. "Prinzessin, please. Come back. You're scaring me".

Getting desperate, he called the brunette by a name he hadn't called her since he'd given it to her.

"Lorelei, please!"

At hearing him say her human name, Schwan-Schloss was brought out of her haze. Immediately, she flinched away from him as far as she could. Tears falling from her eyes.

"G-Gilbert"…

There was more she wanted to say but exhaustion was pulling at her and finally, finally, she fell into a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

-XxX-

When hazel eyes opened once again, she realised she'd been moved into a sitting position that had her leaning against the wall. A sigh of relief escaped her lips at noticing someone had been kind enough to put her in some clothes.

"W-what happened while I was out?"

Prussia kept his gaze trained to the ground as he answered her. "Ukraine and Belarus came down here and patched us up".

There was a long silence between the two German nations before the albino's shoulders started shaking. If Schwan-Schloss didn't know better, she would've thought he was…

"Are… are you crying?"

Before he could give her any sign of denial, she grabbed a firm hold of his chin. Making him look her straight in the eye. At seeing that he had indeed been crying, the brunette let out a small gasp.

"Mein Gott, you are".

Being mindful of his ribs, she pulled the man she loved into her arms. Letting him bury his head in her shoulder as she ran a gentle hand through his silver-white hair. Ridding it of any knots as she did so.

"Don't cry… Älterer Bruder. Please, don't cry. I… I asked for this".

"No, you didn't. If only I could've kept my mouth shut. If I hadn't let on that hurting you hurt me, he might have not agreed to leave me alone. Then he wouldn't have used you like"…

"Like some toy?"

"Yes".

The brunette sighed. "Look, it doesn't matter whose fault this was. It… it happened. At least it kept you safe. As long as I can do that, I don't care what that bastard does to me".

Moving his head from its current posistion to look into his sister's eyes, his own went wide at seeing that she was serious.

"No, don't say that Prinzessin".

"No Älterer Bruder, I will! Russia can beat me until I'm black and blue. He can rape me until I don't know up from down anymore. As long as it keeps his filthy hands away from you, I don't care".

Placing his head back in its previous resting place, the ex-nation started to cry again.

Once again, Schwan-Schloss ran a gentle hand through his hair. Stopping only when she felt him stop shaking.

"What did I do?"

"Hm?"

"What did I do to deserve a sister like you?"

The brunette thought for a moment as she seriously considered his question.

"When I was all alone, you were there when no one else was".

Tightening his hold on her, the albino closed his eyes and mumbled out a muttered 'ich liebe dich' before he drifted off to sleep.

Waiting a moment to make sure he really was asleep, Schwan-Schloss said what she couldn't say before.

"Ich liebe dich auch Gilbert. Mehr als sie jemals wissen".

-XxX-

Notes:

 **'A war's started between North and South Korea'** \- Obviously, this is a reference to the Korean War (25th June, 1950-27th July, 1953).

-XxX-

Translations:

 **German**

Ich liebe dich auch Gilbert. Mehr als sie jemals wissen = I love you too Gilbert. More than you'll ever know


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, an end to the Schwan-Schloss abuse. However, I'm sad to say, this isn't an end to the angst. Sorry reviewers.

Speaking of which, I'd like to give a shout-out to all the people who've reviewed so far. Thank you so much for all your kind words, they made my day when I read them.

-XxX-

 **27th July, 1953**

Leaning against the cold wall, the small republic let out a deep sigh. An even deeper frown etched upon her face. Prussia let out one of his own at seeing it.

"Come on Prinzessin. You knew this was going to happen sooner or later".

"But I don't want to go home! I want to stay here… with you".

He sighed once again. "I know Prinzessin. I know".

The albino wanted to reach out and hold her. To stroke her hair and comfort her like he did when she was younger. However, being chained to the wall kind of stopped him from doing that.

Having a good idea of what he wanted, Schwan-Schloss got up and went over to him. Wrapping her arms around the ex-nation, he rested his head on her shoulder.

"It… it'll be ok".

"For me, yes. But for you"…

The brunette was cut off from saying any more by the click of the door as it was unlocked. Quickly pulling away, she resumed her previous position on the ground before it opened and Russia entered the room. Walking forward, he stopped when he was only a few inches in front of her.

"I'm afraid this is the last day of your stay here. It's such a shame". Grabbing her by the throat, the Soviet stared into her eyes. A childish smile on his face. "Let's make our last time the best, shall we?"

-XxX-

Lying beaten on the ground, the small republic tried to keep herself conscious. Barely registering that Russia was now dragging her by both her legs across the floor.

"What a good little girl you've been. In fact, you've been so well-behaved, I think you should get a reward".

Confusion soon turned to fear when the Soviet harshly shoved up her skirt and pulled down her underwear.

 _No, not again. Please, please! Not this all over again!_

Shutting her eyes tight, Schwan-Schloss waited. At hearing a jingle, the brunette became confused once again. However, the confusion soon disappeared as she let out a scream when he thrusted himself inside her.

"Why?!"

Hazel eyes snapped wide open with shock to find that it wasn't Russia. It was Prussia.

"G-Gilbert?"

"I'm sorry Prinzessin. I'm sorry!"

Tears filled Schwan-Schloss's eyes as she saw the guilt-ridden look the ex-nation gave her as he said those words. _No Gilbert, it's not your fault. It's mine._

"I don't think she'll forgive you East". Russia spoke into the albino's ear. "Such a bad thing you're doing to her. A bad thing that you should be punished for".

Hazel eyes narrowed into a dark glare. She was going to shout at the blond. She was going to call him a liar and remind him that she was the one who was supposed to be punished. However, that all stopped when the brunette saw what Russia was about to do.

"No, don't!"

The small republic's protesting was ignored as the Soviet shoved his pipe up inside the ex-nation. Causing him to scream and thrust forwards which in turn, made her scream.

Slowly pulling out the pipe a little, Russia shoved it back in as far as he could. That malicious grin of his was on in full force as each flick of his wrist filled the room with screams.

Her screams changing into sobs, Schwan-Schloss shut her eyes.

 _No, stop. Stop you sick bastard. Wasn't taking my virginity good enough for you? Did you have to make Gilbert… did you have to make him?…_

Prussia closed his eyes too. Unable to bring himself to look at the younger German nation. Ashamedly, he finally released into her. Letting out one last scream as the pipe was removed from him.

"Have fun with him Little Swan. Don't play with him too long. After all, someone should be coming soon to take you home".

When the door was shut and locked, the two German nations were completely silent. After what seemed like hours, Prussia finally decided to break it.

"Prinzessin"…

"No, it's alright Älterer Bruder. You don't have to apologise. Anyway, can you… can you pull out?"

"Uh, I think so". Placing both hands behind him, the albino pushed himself backwards. He winced at the sound of her scream but didn't stop until he'd fully pulled out.

Taking a few deep breaths, his face soon turned paler than usual at what he saw. Blood. He'd made her bleed.

Realising where he was directing his gaze, Schwan-Schloss blushed and tried to hide the area from view with her hand. "D-don't stare".

"Sorry! Sorry". He looked away in shame. "I'm so sorry".

The brunette sighed. "Älterer Bruder". When he looked back at her again, she continued to speak. "Don't blame yourself. This wasn't your fault. Russia did this, not you".

"So, you don't… hate me then?"

Letting out yet another sigh, the brunette slowly and painfully pulled herself up into a sitting position before she reached out her unbroken arm to the man she loved.

Tears falling from his eyes, the ex-nation gladly crawled into her embrace.

"Nein. Never. I could never hate you".

At hearing her say that, Prussia buried his head in the small republic's shoulder and tightened his grip. Making sure to be mindful of her injuries.

"… Danke Prinzessin".

The brunette's lips curved up into a sad smile. "Nein Älterer Bruder. Du brauchst mir nicht zu danken".

Removing his head from its resting place, Prussia gently moved so that they now layed on the ground. In her new position, Schwan-Schloss nestled her head against his chest and closed her eyes. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat and his hand stroking her hair being what made her able to drift off to sleep.

-XxX-

When the German nation woke up, she felt a wet cloth being used to gently rub her clean. Flinching slightly, she opened her eyes and saw that it was Ukraine who was cleaning her.

"Don't worry Miss Schwan-Schloss. I'm just cleaning off the blood".

Giving her a small nod in acknowledgement, the brunette shut her eyes. Only opening them again when the older female nation had finished.

Pulling her underwear back up, with the blonde's help, the small republic slowly got up onto her feet and readjusted her skirt. Looking around the room for her glasses, she frowned when she couldn't find them.

"I believe these are yours".

Taking her glasses from the older female nation, the brunette put them on before she gave the blonde a small smile and a thank you.

At seeing the look that was now in Schwan-Schloss's eyes as she stared up at Prussia, Belarus's near ever-present frown deepened. "Katyusha, we should go".

Nodding in agreement, the oldest female nation walked out the door. Belarus was about to follow her sister but stopped when she remembered something.

"Here". The blonde handed the small republic a small rectangular box which, after she took a quick peek at its contents, she placed in her cardigan pocket.

"Thank you, for looking after them".

"You're welcome".

The older female nation turned to leave but stopped when she felt a light tugging on her sleeve.

"Wait, there's something I wanted to ask you".

Turning around, she showed the brunette that she was listening.

"Why have you been helping me? Is it to pay me back for what I did for you?"

"A little bit, yes. It has more to do with the fact that the reason you're so beaten up is because you were protecting your brother. I know what it feels like to want to protect your brother. Like I said when we first met, I admire someone who loves their brother just as much as I love mine".

With that said, Belarus finally left the room. Allowing the two German nations to be alone together.

Walking over to where he'd been rechained to the wall, Schwan-Schloss placed a hand on Prussia's cheek.

"Gilbert"…

Leaning in until their faces were only a few inches away from each other, she was going to kiss him on the lips. However, the brunette soon lost her nerve and instead settled on giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"Ich liebe dich… Älterer Bruder". Wrapping her arms around him, she buried her head in his shoulder. "Mehr als alles".

"Ich liebe dich auch, mein Prinzessin".

At hearing him say that, tears started to fill Schwan-Schloss's eyes.

She wasn't stupid. She knew firsthand what Russia was capable of and that he'd do even worse to Prussia. However, unlike her, he wasn't a nation. For all she knew, he'd lost the imortality that all nations were gifted with and could very well end up dead.

This could be the last time she'd ever hear those words from him and that hurt. It hurt her even more than the fact that 'I love you' would never be an 'I'm in love with you'.

"D-don't forget, n-no matter… what Russia… s-says, y-you're still… you're still awe-awesome".

"I won't. I promise". There was a long silence between them before the ex-nation spoke again. "I'm not happy about all the shit you had to go through to protect me, but… I'm happy that I got to see you again. I was wondering what my little Prinzessin would look like when she was all grown up".

The small republic's lips curved up into a small smile. "Really? Well, now that you've seen me like this, what do you think?"

"What do I think? I Ithink you look so… so… what's the word?" The albino's face soon lit up with a smirk. "Oh ja, now I remember. Pretty".

Schwan-Schloss merely snorted. "Sure I do. A pretty good mess, that's what I look like".

"Exactly. You're a mess, but you still look pretty".

Moving her head from its resting place, the brunette gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you… thank you for everything".

Placing her hand on Prussia's cheek, the brunette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Leaning in, she tried to kiss him on the lips again. However, at hearing the sound of the door opening, she imediately pulled away from him.

Her heart pounding and her breathing heavy, Schwan-Schloss took a few moments to calm down as she saw it was only Belarus.

"It's time for you to go".

Nodding in understanding, the small republic gave the ex-nation a forced smile and a small wave.

"Auf Wiedersehen Älterer Bruder".

Letting the older female nation grab her arm, Schwan-Schloss allowed herself to be lead out of the room. Stopping for a moment as Belarus shut and lock the door behind them, they walked through the house until they arrived at the front door.

Letting go of the brunette's arm, the blonde opened the door. However, instead of walking through the now-open doorway, she stared at it.

"You can go now. You're free".

Staring at the doorway for another moment longer, the small republic then turned around to face the older female nation.

"I love him. I love him just like how you love that… your brother. Please, will you look after Gilbert for me?"

Belarus let out a deep sigh before answering her. "I can't make any promises, but I'll do whatever I can".

"Thank you".

-XxX-

Walking out into the snow, Schwan-Schloss made her way over to the two older male nations who had been waiting for her.

At seeing how beaten up she looked, America's expression darkened. "That damn Commie bastard".

Knowing exactly what the superpower was thinking, the brunette shook her head. "No, it's ok Alfred. Russia would've treated me better if I hadn't interfered with his… 'fun'".

At not getting any more of a response out of him, she turned to look at England. She had hoped that he would look away from her in guilt. To see even the faintest flicker of remorse in his eyes. However, he merely stared back at her with a neutral expression on his face.

Hazel eyes narrowing into a dark glare, the brunette pulled back her fist and slammed it into the island nation's face. A sick satisfaction filling her as the crunching sound of his nose and a few of her knuckles echoed through the air.

Clenching her blood-covered fist so tightly that her nails dug in deep enough to draw her own blood, the small republic took a few deep shuddering breaths.

"Corpse!" She spat at him from where he now layed sprawled out on the ground. "You're nothing but a Goddamned corpse! So don't you dare stand there looking so high and mighty when you're no better than Gilbert!"

Getting back up onto his feet, the thick-browed nation snapped his nose back into place and wiped away some of his blood before returning her glare with one of his own. "I may not be the empire I once was, but at least I'm still a nation".

"Bastard!" Lunging herself at him, the brunette was stopped by America grabbing her around the waist and holding her down. "It's your fault! Don't you dare stand there and act like you've done nothing wrong when this is all your fault!"

England merely frowned and crossed his arms. "I have no idea what you're talking about".

"The Hell you do!" The small republic tried and failed to escape from the superpower's grasp. "You're the reason Gilbert's not a nation anymore! You're the reason why he's stuck here! I would've thought that you'd gotten over the Revolution by now. But no, you're still bitter about it. That's why you did it, didn't you? Dissolving him was some sort of payback, wasn't it?"

Tightening his grip on the German nation, America's expression darkened. "Alright Lorelei, that's enough".

She knew she should listen to him. She knew that the strong arms around her could easily break her in half if they wanted to. However, she didn't care. All Schwan-Schloss cared about right now was hurting England and if she couldn't do it physically, she would have to settle on doing it emotioonally.

"You had no right to do that to him! No right at all! Because of you, Gilbert could… he could… Not that you care. After all, all you care about is yourself and that crumbling empire of yours. It's no wonder Alfred wanted to leave you, you heartless bastard. Then again, he did eventually come crawling back to you. He must've felt sorry for you. Why else would a great superpower like him be with a pitiful, ruined little nation like you? It's not because he loves you, it's because he pities you. It's only a matter of time that he'll stop pitying you and leave you again. Then you'll be all alone. Just like you deserve".

Turning her around, America picked the small republic up and threw her over his shoulder. Causing her to let out a small cry in pain.

"I said, that's enough".

"Put me down Alfred. Put me down right now!"

"No". At hearing the tone of the superpower's voice, Schwan-Schloss imediately stopped her protesting and went completely still. Allowing herself to be carried towards England's car. "Now, I know you're angry and upset about Gilbert, but that doesn't mean you can go around saying that kind of shit to Arthur".

Opening a car door single-handedly, the older male nation strapped Schwan-Schloss into one of the backside seats. Letting out a loud huff, she grabbed the door's handle and slammed it shut. Disappointed that none of the blond's hands had gotten caught as she did so.

When England finally started to drive the car away, the small republic shut her eyes and tried to shut out everything around her. Including the guilt that was now eating away at her.

 _Damn you, stupid conscence._

Opening her eyes, the brunette frowned as she kept her gaze trained to the ground. She didn't want to apologise but she knew she had to.

"… England?"

"What?! What now?"

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that to you. I only did it because I wanted to hurt you. I wanted you to feel just as much pain as I'm in right now, but that doesn't make me feel any better. In fact, it just makes me feel worse".

"… Apology accepted".

"Good. I'm not taking back what I said about this being your fault though. Because it is".

As the car was filled with silence once again, Schwan-Schloss looked out the window and watched as Russia's house grew smaller and smaller as she was being driven farther away from it.

"Gilbert"…

"Lorelei?"

Not listening to the concerned superpower calling out her name, the brunette continued to look out the window. Tears started to fill her eyes as the thought of a dark and cold basement and the ex-nation that was trapped inside it crossed her mind. The ex-nation and his pipe-wielding captor.

 _Oh God, he'll be dead. He'll be dead by the time that sadistic bastard's done with him. Gilbert's going to die and I'm never going to get the chance to tell him. To tell him that I… that I…_

As Russia's house finally disappeared from view and with that thought, she finally broke down into loud sobs.

At hearing the sound, America turned around in his seat a little and reached out his hand to grab hers. Giving it a few gentle squeezes in hopeful reassurance.

"It'll be ok Lorelei. You of all people should know how tough Gilbert is. So please, don't cry".

"Alfred, if she was actually paying attention to you, I don't think she'd appreciate you lying to her".

Giving her hand one last squeeze before letting it go, the blond sat back properly in his seat. "I was only trying to make her feel better".

"I know you were, but to her, it would sound like you were lying. You saw what Ivan did to the poor woman. Do you really think he'd be any more merciful to Gilbert? A nation which he has a strong grudge against".

With a frown, America let out a sigh of defeat. "When you put it that way, I guess you're right". Hesitating for a moment, he then asked a question that he probably already knew the answer to. "Do you think she'll be ok though?"

"Right now, I'd have to say no".

The superpower let out yet another sigh. "I thought as much".

"She could get better over time though. After all, she still has Ludwig".

"I really hope so".

-XxX-

Translations:

 **German**

Nein Älterer Bruder. Du brauchst mir nicht zu danken = No Big Brother. There's no need to thank me

Mehr als alles = More than anything


End file.
